


The Outsider

by HeroSavesPeople



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Aliens, F/M, Fluff, High School AU, Love, Romance, Roswell AU, Sci-Fi, WA AU, Westallen AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 14:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19087015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroSavesPeople/pseuds/HeroSavesPeople
Summary: When Barry Allen finally catches Iris's eye, she gets a hell of a lot more than she was expecting.Who and what is the mystery behind the quiet boy with pretty green eyes?





	The Outsider

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working intermittently on this for literally two years and it's just a one-shot smh. Always planned it that way. Anyways, it's finally here and I hope you guys like it!

"Damn, that Barry Allen is drilling a hole in your head. Again."

Iris looked up from her homework startled. "What?" 

Linda not-so-discreetly nodded toward something to the side. Iris followed her gaze and sure enough Barry Allen quickly looked away, the side of his face slowly turning red.

Iris felt a flutter in her chest before turning back to her homework with a shake of her head.  "You don't know what you're talking about, Lin."

"Oh I don't, do I?"

Iris glanced up to find Linda looking at her with a quirked brow. 

"Who called it when Eddie asked you to the winter formal?"

Iris only replied with a roll of her eyes and resumed her calculus as Linda continued to prattle on.  "Who called it when Cisco and Caitlin broke up because they were better off friends?"

Iris acknowledged that with a tilt of her head. That was definitely true. Iris was oddly heartbroken when she heard about their breakup for someone who wasn't even close to them, but was at least happy they were still best friends. She, of all people, knew that it was possible to be friends with an ex when she and Eddie had come to the same agreement. 

But just because Linda had been right on both counts doesn't mean she was on this one.

"Alright, I'll give you those. But what are you even trying to say about Barry?"

"That he's into you, duh."

Iris looked up with a bored expression. "He's not, relax. And even if he was, I don't have time for a relationship right now. I have too much on my plate with SATs, the paper, and AP chem is turning out to be a lot harder than I was anticipating.”

Linda was scrutinizing Barry with a thoughtful look. "You know, he's pretty cute. Aaand if you’re having trouble with chem, I'm pretty sure he could help you out."

"Linda. Knock it off."   


She couldn't help peek over at him and again she catches him, this time as he averts his eyes to look down at the textbook in front of him. The giggle that escaped her lips surprised both her and Linda who mused at her with interest. 

Iris stared back defensively.  "What? You said it yourself, he's cute."

“Uh-huh. You want to hug him, you want to kiss him, you want to loooove him,” Linda sang.

“Oh my god, would you cut it out,” Iris grumbled, swatting at her. 

“I’m just saying, you should go for it. What’s the harm?”

Iris nibbled on the end of her pencil as she peeked a glance at Barry again. What  _ was  _ the harm? She had been single for awhile now and she didn’t mind it, but looking at Barry, there was a curiosity. He was sweet and adorable with the most annoyingly long lashes that she wanted to touch. And then there was that time he had left flowers in her locker after her mother died in the sixth grade. He did it so covertly, Iris got the feeling he didn’t want her to know, but it meant a lot to her so she had snuck the brownie she had brought into his backpack during passing time.   


She remembered the way, in ninth grade, he tripped over his own feet in his haste to join her dodgeball team when she called on him. It was so endearing, Iris had to shield her smile. 

She must not have been covert enough in her gaze because she could see his face turning bright red as he peeked up at her. He let out a loud cough as he scrambled to gather his belongings. 

“Well, I think I scared him,” Iris mumbled.

Linda smirked as she followed Barry’s escape out of the library. They both watched as he tripped over his feet and fell into the library doors. Iris instinctively rose to help, but he was already stumbling out, the back of his neck on fire.

Linda swiveled in her seat, shaking her head. “That boy is hopeless.”

_ That boy is cute _ , Iris thought before getting back to her homework.

 

***

Iris let out a deep sigh as the hot sun beat down upon her. It was a nice cool day out, but considering she had been walking for what felt like a mile, hair felt like it was on fire. The trials that comes with having a car that likes to break down every few months, she thought mournfully. 

She had just reached the shaded part of the road when the sounds of shouts caught her attention. She moved closer to the side of the road. Above the hill, just a few yards from the road was a diner next to a gas station. It was a hot spot for all the high school kids during lunch and truckers at night, but it was still afternoon and Iris wondered which one of her classmates was causing trouble. 

Just as she made to climb the hill, a body came rolling down, hitting the pavement hard. It didn’t take long for Iris to make out just who it was. 

“Oh my god, Barry!”

She ran over and crouched down beside him just as two figures slid down the hill. She recognized Tony Woodward and his older brother who had graduated from Central High four years ago and two years too late.

“Iris, get out of here,” Barry panted, getting up to step in front of Iris.

Iris stepped out from behind him, her eyes on Tony Woodward as she approached him. His face turned into one of wariness as he watched her get nearer. Iris ignored Barry’s attempts at pulling her back. 

“What the hell is going on here?”

Tony was clearly the smarter one—a tragic thought is anyone knew him—because he took a step back while his older brother, Todd sneered down at her. 

“None of your business, little lady. Now get out of here.”

Iris bristled at being called “little lady.” People liked to underestimate her because of her size, but it was fun letting them know they had another thing coming. 

"What are you going to do, big boy?"  She looked up at him with steel in her eyes. 

Todd advanced toward her but Tony grabbed his arm. “Her dad’s the Captain of CCPD, you don’t want to mess with her,” he warned. 

Todd narrowed his eyes and sniffed, his shoulders relaxing. “So, that’s why you can talk the talk, huh? Well, we don’t have a problem here. We were just on our way out, weren’t we Tony?”

“Yeah, come on.”

With one last glare, the boys walked away, climbing back up the hill. Iris turned back to Barry in bewilderment. 

"Barry what the hell was that? Why were those guys after you?"

His expression mirrored hers. “I could ask you the same thing. What the hell were you thinking challenging him like that? He could have seriously hurt you.”

“Please, it was too easy to get him to back down. I was all ready to use my taser on him,” she said, patting her back pocket. At Barry’s bemused expression, she simply shrugged. “What? I’m a cop’s daughter, I’m always prepared.”

“It doesn't matter. It wasn’t your fight, Iris.”

She stepped closer to him, scrutinizing the cut on his cheek. “Something tells me it wasn’t your fight either. What the hell provoked them?”

Barry shook his head and turned to walk away. “Look, it doesn’t matter. You shouldn’t have been here.”

"Hey, a thank you might be nice."

He sighed and stopped walking, turning to look at her with guilt. "I'm sorry, you're right. Thank you. But you really didn't have to.You could've gotten really hurt and it didn't help that you were baiting them."

"Oh god I really wanted to hear the crap out of them but in all honesty it's probably for the best. Dad would freak if he heard I got into a fist fight."

He looked at her in wonder, as if he couldn't decide whether she was crazy or amazing. 

"Seriously though, Barry. Why were they after you?"

Barry cleared his throat and looked away. She waited patiently and took a step closer, trying to catch his eyes. He finally sighed and looked at her, letting himself get lost in her gaze. 

"You probably know about how I was found near the meteor sight before my parents adopted me."

Iris furrowed her brows, remembering how Barry was bullied in elementary school because of it. It was the first time she had ever met him, that day in the hallway when Tony Woodward was shouting at him, calling him a freak. Rage had filled her body and she couldn't stop herself from kicking his crotch and watching him crumple to the ground with a shriek. The self-satisfied smirk didn't leave her face even as a teacher pulled her away and sent her to the principal's office.  It did however turn into a scowl when her father lectured her later that night.

"Yeah," she said softly. “I heard something about that.”

Barry scoffed, nodding. “Everyone knows and think I’m a freak because of it. The Woodwards say I’m some kind of alien.”

" _ What? _ " Iris bursts out.  "That’s...that’s just not ok."

Iris’s heart broke at the weariness in his expression, his voice resigned to the fact that he would be subjected to senseless cruelty. Iris wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him. After pummeling the Woodward brothers. 

 

He looks at her with a rueful smile and spreads his arms wide.  "Welcome to Earth."

“I can’t believe they’re even going about it.”   
  
“Idiots don’t need legitimate ammo,” he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pocket. “Look, thank you, Iris. Really, it means a lot that you cared enough to help, but I can fight my own battles. The last thing I need is you, of all people, to get hurt because of me.”

He looked at her with heavy eyes. There was so much in them, so much in his expression that it caused butterflies in her stomach. 

“Why...why me of all people?” she asked softly.

He looked at her astonished and let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “Really, Iris? You really don’t know?”

She returned his gaze with wide eyes, her breath catching. “I...I didn’t know it was true. I just thought that maybe,” she trailed off, shrugging lightly. “That maybe it was just…”

“A rumor?” He looked away and ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

He turned and started walking away while Iris stood frozen, her thoughts racing a mile a minute, in time with her heart. He liked her. He really, truly liked her. 

“Barry, wait!” 

Her breath came out in a gasp as she jogged to catch up with him. He slowly turned around but still refused to meet her gaze. 

“I…” 

She didn’t know what to say. That he was adorkable as fuck and she’s been in awe of his forrest green eyes and those annoyingly thick lashes? Or that she’s on occasion wondered about him, wanting to figure out the enigma that was Barry Allen? The boy who had been adopted by the sweetest couple in town and grew up to be so smart and kind even if seemed like he was a loner, only talking to Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow on occasion. 

The investigative reporter in her wanted to learn more about him. Particularly if he was ticklish. She didn’t know why, but something about his sweet face made her want to reach over and tickle him. She shook her head at the ridiculous thought. She couldn’t very well confess that to him. 

She couldn’t find the words, so she did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed him by his collar and pulled him into a kiss. 

He gasped into her mouth. It didn’t take him long before he tentatively brought his hands up to her face, his lips slowly exploring hers. Iris’s heart thudded against her chest and she leaned into his soft touch. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this. It certainly wasn’t this all-consuming sensation that transcended anything she had ever felt in her life. Her entire body felt like it was glowing and so warm. It was a soft, comforting warmth and she could feel his touch everywhere. His hands only dared to roam from her face to hair, his fingers tangling in the waves, but she felt him everywhere. It was as though every single one of her molecules was touched by every single one of his molecules.

His tongue slowly peeked out and carefully tasted her lips and eagerly returned his touch, tasting him. It was addicting and her heart swelled with so much. She had never been in love before, but was this what love felt like? She felt silly for even having such a thought.

She let her hands trail down his chest before it all became too much. She couldn’t breathe and while she wanted nothing more than to stay melded against him, she was beginning to feel faint. 

She pulled back slowly, breathing heavily, but the electricity remained in the air.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him and her stomach tickled at the sight before her. His eyes were still shut, jaws slack and lips pursed as though awaiting her kiss once more. She was transfixed by his awed expression that she couldn’t help letting her fingers caress his cheek before drifting to his still wet lips. 

His lashes fluttered at the movement before he opened his eyes to look at her in a daze. She could feel his heavy breath against her fingers, the warmth dampening her fingertips before she let them slide down. His breath hitched at the gestures, his eyes darkening. 

“Wha-what was that?” He whispered. 

“I just really wanted to. Is that ok?” She was suddenly nervous. Maybe this was the one one moment Linda had been wrong in her intuition. 

He nodded eagerly, eyes wide. “Y-yes! Yes it was totally more than ok.”

She let out a relieved chuckle and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Ok.” 

He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes flickering between hers. 

“Iris, there’s something I’ve—”

“Do you want to walk me home?”  
He looked at her stunned. “Uh yeah-yeah, I really, yeah, that’d be great,” he said, dumbly.

“Ok.” 

She took his hand and laced their fingers together. The warmth filled her up again as she looked up into his eyes, feeling his pulse through his hand. She could have sworn they glowed before darkening.

Whether it was a trick of the eye or not, it was safe to say that Iris was irrevocably endeared by one Barry Allen. 

 

***

It didn’t take long for Iris to realize that Barry had walked her all the way home even though his car was at the diner where she had bumped into him. The adorable dork just wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, but after that day, he picked her up every morning and dropped her off home every evening. 

They had taken to scouting the town for new ice cream flavors and doing their homework at Jitter. In those moments, Iris finally learned just how fascinating he was. It was more than the fact that she could have sworn she saw stars every time they kissed, it was that he was so much sweeter and genuine than she had already believed.

“I’ve always wanted to help people,” he said one day, licking off the last of his ice cream from the plastic spoon. 

Iris offered her cup of triple chocolate brownie. Barry beamed at her and the ever-present flutter in her stomach made itself known at the sight of his crinkled eyes. He dug in as she took another bite. 

“That doesn’t surprise me,” she murmured. “I mean, you always seemed shy, but just the way you are with the people you interact with, there was something there.”

She could see the blush spreading across his cheeks against the sunlight. They were sitting atop a hill not too far from their neighborhood, which had become a favorite pastime of theirs, watching the sunset before they went home. 

She saw the shadow of his lashes against the apple of his cheek and she couldn’t help but lean down and kiss him right there. He looked at her in awe as though he couldn’t believe she was there in front of him despite the fact that they have been becoming acquainted with one another the last couple of weeks. 

“So, have you thought about what you wanted to do?” she asked, wiping the corner of his lip.

“Um,” he replied softly. He was looking at her in a daze before shaking his head and blinking. “Um, I’ve thought about becoming a doctor like my dad? But, I’m not a huge fan of hospitals. All he needles and testings, it just weirds me out.”

Iris nodded. “I get it. After my mom got sick, I spent way too much time there and I get this weird feeling every time I’m in one now. I tried volunteering there at the unit where they kept her but I didn’t last a week.”

He looked at her softly. “I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Thanks.” She looked at him and linked her arm into his. “I know you put flowers in my locker that year.”

The tips of his ears turned pink. 

“Oh, I guess I wasn’t as sly about it as I thought.” He furrowed his brows then. “So, that mysterious brownie was from you then, wasn’t it?”

“Guilty.”

He laced their fingers together and took another bite of her ice cream.

“Hey Barry?” she began cautiously. He hummed in reply. “Have you ever wondered about your birth parents?”

A shadow fell upon his eyes as he swallowed thickly. She could feel the pulse in his hand jumping against hers. 

“All the time,” he finally uttered.    
  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up something difficult,” she murmured, squeezing his hand. “I just wanted to know you more.”

He shook his head and looked at her with a small smile. “It’s ok, but yeah, I do. I wonder about them all the time. What happened to them, what were they like.”

“Do you think you’d be able to find them? I mean, maybe I can get my dad to look into it—”

“No!” Barry said abruptly, his hand tensing before loosening. “I mean, I don’t-I don’t think I’m quite ready yet.”

“Oh sure, of course.” 

She let it go after that but there was a curiosity that brewed from then on. Iris knew that if she was in his shoes, she’d want to find out about her birth parents, want to understand all the same things Barry did, except she wouldn’t be hesitant to investigate. Then again, Iris  _ was  _ known for being nosey. Its why she was firmly debating between following in her father’s footsteps as a detective or her grandmother’s and becoming a reporter. 

It was days later that Barry jogged up to Iris and looped an arm around her waist. 

“Hey, I want to show you something after school.”

He had a soft smile on his face but Iris could feel his heart pattering a little too fast against her as she turned in his arm. She placed a hand over his chest and felt it strongly beat against her palm and she wondered just what it was that he wanted to show her. 

She looked at him curiously and for a brief moment, her mind went into the gutter and her body flushed hot. But then again, this was Barry Allen and there was no way he would suggest such a thing so early on in their relationship. But now that the thought entered her mind, she found that she might not be opposed to exploring more of him. 

“What is it?” she asked. 

He looked between her eyes and now Iris could not only feel the rapid pace of his heart, but the rise and fall of his chest as his eyes turned soft, the dark green iris suddenly bright as his pupils dilate. The lights in the hallway suddenly dimmed and while she was aware of the darkening walls, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his. 

“Something I’ve wanted to show you for awhile,” was all he said, his voice just a breath of a whisper. 

Her answering reply was just as soft. “Ok.”

He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingertips softly tracing the contour of her cheekbone as his eyes followed its movements. He inhaled deeply through his nose before capturing her lips in a gently kiss. But despite how soft his touch was, there was a fire behind his touch, behind the fingers that gripped the back of her neck and pulled her closer, behind the lips that pressed urgently against her, behind the tongue that explored her with purpose. 

By the time he pulled away, Iris felt her head was foggy and she had to grip his shirt tightly in her hands to feel tethered to the earth. She had felt like she was soaring somewhere far away with him in a tranquil space. They had kissed several times since their first but even so, every touch felt like the first and this kiss...this was something else entirely. 

When she opened her eyes to look at his, he looked just as wrecked as she felt, his cheeks flushed, eyes heavy as they looked at her. So caught up in each other, little did they know they were being followed.

 

***

 

It was a half hour later that they pulled up by a wide meadow surrounded by woods. It was a beautiful open expanse of land with small mountains surrounding the perimeter. As it turned out, Barry had planned a little picnic for them. He laid out a plaid blanket and started setting up lanterns around the blanket. 

“Barry,” she said softly. “This is amazing."

He looked up at her with a small smile. “I wanted to do something special for you.” 

“This is really cool,” Iris mused. She looked around taking in the open space with setting sun creating a beautiful hue in the sky. She could only imagine how bright the stars would be at night.

“I like to come here now and again. I like to think out here and feel like I was free here.”

“What would you think about?”

Iris didn’t know if her question seemed probing, but she genuinely was curious about the enigma that was Barry Allen. 

He settled down beside her, his fingers roughly rubbing each other as he shifted his haze away. 

“A lot of things,” he uttered quietly before his lips curled gently. “You were among them. Is it too soon to confess that?”

Once again the air felt charged between them and Iris felt a warmth that encompassed her entire body as she took in his bashful smile. He looked away again, scratching his eyebrows as his face pulled into a frown. She reached over to place a comforting hand on his and squeezed. 

He turned back to her and even though she didn’t say anything, his shoulders relaxed and his fingers stopped twitching under hers. 

“So, what’s the occasion?” she asked to change the subject. Partly to spare him the embarrassment but partly to spare her from passing out. If she stared into his eyes and ruminate over his words any longer she was sure she’d pass out. 

“It’s where I was found.”

Iris turned to look at him. “You mean, when the Allens found you?”

Barry nodded, looking around. “This was the start of everything. Even though I was estimated to be about six years old, I had no previous memory. All I remember was walking around here and coming across a couple having a picnic.”

Iris smiled at the thought. “So, it was almost like you found them, huh?”

He turned to her the thought dawning on him. The corners of his lips quirked. “I never thought of it like that, but I like it. Makes it feel like it was meant to be like this. I’ve had so many questions about my life, about my birth parents and where I came from, how it was possible that I could do what I could…”

Iris cocked her head to the side. “Do you what you could?”

He looked at her nervously, his throat bobbing past as hard swallow. “Iris,” he rasped. After a long pause he asked, “Can I touch you?”

She thought it was a strange question to ask considering they had been touching each other the last couple of weeks and getting very acquainted with one another. But still, the gesture endeared her. 

“Of course.”

He scooted closer before slowly reaching for her face, his hands gently cupping her cheeks. She inhaled a shaky breath, her eyes transfixed by his dark green ones, his pupils dilating. He leaned in until he could press his forehead against her, their breaths mingling. 

“I want to show you something,” he whispered.”

Iris barely nodded before a warmth spread across her cheeks. And then it disappeared abruptly, a chill taking its place.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? Isn’t this cozy?”

Barry and Iris pulled apart and the moment her eyes settled on the intruder, her face soured.

“What are you guys doing here?”

Barry shifted in front of Iris, his eyes trained on the Woodward brothers. Todd strided over to them lazily and the closer he got, the stronger Iris could smell the alcohol radiating from his body. Tony, on the other hand, was sober and withdrawn. She had never seen him as nervous as he was in that moment. 

“Finishing what we started. See, I don’t appreciate weak little bitches acting high and mighty just because they have a man to protect them. Why don’t you step out here and fight me?”

Iris’s blood boiled at his words, the temper she had worked to calm, rearing its head. She looked behind Todd and saw Tony shifting uncomfortably. 

Iris slowly stood up, keeping her glare on Todd. “So this is how you settle a fight? By ambushing people?”

“Iris,” Barry muttered in a warning tone. He held out a hand to stop her as he stood up with her. 

Todd sauntered closer. “Well, you sure talked like a big shot. Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?”

Iris’s hands balled into fists, her calculating eyes scanning his body and weak points. Her father had taught her well and she was ready. 

“Gladly,” she gritted out. 

She took a step around Barry but stopped dead in her tracks when Todd brandished a gun. Even Tony’s eyes widened in astonishment. She felt a trace of fear flicker across her body as her anger heightened. 

“Todd, what are you doing?” Tony demanded.

“This bitch and her alien boyfriend need to be put in their places,” he said, except he didn’t say ‘bitch.'

That’s when Barry jerked in place despite having a gun in his face. “Don’t you call her that, you piece of shit.”

“Or what?”

“Trust me, Todd,” Barry said in a tone Iris had never heard before, full of steel. “You don’t want to know.”

“Why don’t you put that away,” Iris said, feeling the tension rise in Barry’s body. There was something about the energy radiating from him that concerned her and she wasn’t sure what he was going to do. She had only gotten him in her life and she’d be damned if anything happened to him because they were talking the big game. “Bringing a gun to a knife fight is bad form.”

“Like I give a shit.”

Tony moved closer to his brother. “Todd, stop this,” he said.

“It’s ok, little brother, no one will be missing them.”

Tony whipped his head around to look at his brother. “What the hell are you talking about? You just said we were going to scare them.”

Todd shrugged with a sinister smirk. “Well, they sure are going to be scared before I end them.”

He raised his gun higher, ready to aim. Iris’s stomach clenched and she held Barry’s arm tightly, ready to run with him.    
  
“Todd, stop!”

In a flurry, Tony tackled his brother to the ground. Iris didn’t waste a second before she tugged Barry by the hand. They ran into the woods, leaving the sounds of scuffle behind them. She distantly heard movement and a struggle, but with her heart in her throat, all she could focus on was getting her and Barry as far away as possible. She’d let her dad deal with the Woodward brothers.

“Get back here! What the fuck, Tony?” she heard Todd scream. She heard a strangled scream behind them and couldn’t help but stumble around to see. 

Just then a loud bang erupted in the air and the world stood still as Iris’s ears rang. For a long moment, there was a deafening silence and Iris felt nothing but numbness. She felt like she was underwater as she vaguely heard Barry scream her name and as though in slow motion, she collapsed to the ground, pain blooming in her stomach. 

“Iris, no!”

Her vision was starting to blur and all she could see was the treetops and the beautiful bright stars shining above. From her peripheral vision she saw a bright light and heard two thuds before there was nothing but the sound of Barry desperately calling out to her. 

“Iris,” he pleaded brokenly. “Please, please…"

There was so much anguish in his voice, she ached to reassure him.  _ It’s ok _ ,  _ it’s ok _ . 

“I’m not letting you go, Iris.”

The pain gave way to numbness and she could feel the darkness taking over. “B-b-barry,” she said hoarsely. But that was all she could manage before she felt nothing else. 

 

***

Iris felt as though she was drifting in a cloud and all around her she could see her family, her loved ones. She saw her father teaching her how to box and her doubling over into a fit of giggles when he dramatically fell to the ground. She saw Linda twirling her around during the sophomore winter formal when they went as each other’s dates. 

And then she saw Barry softly stroking her hair and pushing it out of her face as he looked at her reverently. There was so much in his gaze it made her feel cozy and safe. She swore it was that look alone that could keep her warm even on the coldest night. 

She could feel it spread from her stomach and permeate her entire body until it filled her up. Her heart beat slowly, oh so slowly, but loud in her ears. 

_ Lub-dub...lub-dub...lub-dub… _

Then it quickened and she felt his touch on her stomach, felt wetness drip onto her cheeks, and then a cool breeze across her bare stomach and neck. 

“ _ Iris, _ ” she heard faintly. 

And with a sharp gasp of breath Iris’s eyes snapped open.   


“Oh god, oh god.”

Her eyes looked around wildly and settled on Barry’s face leaning over her. In the dark, she was somehow able to make out his red-rimmed eyes looking at her in relief. His lips quivered as more tears fell from his eyes and onto her skin.

He let out a strangled gasp and gathered her in his arms and one hand cupped the side of her face. 

“Iris,” he whimpered. “Please, please tell me you’re ok.”

She looked at him in bewilderment, not understanding what was happening and what had just happened. 

“Iris?”

She met his gaze and saw those familiar eyes looking at her in fear. Her heart lurched at the sight.

“I-I’m ok,” she finally said, not entirely sure of her own words. “I’m ok.”

He clutched her to him then, burying his face in her shoulder as he rocked her back and forth. She could feel his harsh breath against her shoulder and it was only then that she registered that her blouse was open, her shoulder exposed to the cool air.

Her hand shakily touched her side and she felt a warm and sticky substance against her skin. Over Barry’s shoulder she looked at her fingers stained in red. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Barry?” she said hoarsely. “What happened to me?”

He slowly pulls back to look at her, wariness accompanying the fear in his eyes. She couldn’t think, she didn’t know what to say and as she felt that familiar warmth that she associated with Barry, she felt content. In that moment, she felt that same sensation when they first kissed in which every molecule of hers touched every molecule of his, every space between them tied. 

And somehow she just knew. 

"Holy shit," she breathes.  "You really aren't from around here."

He grimaces, holding her in his secure arms.  "Guilty."

**Author's Note:**

> Would love to hear your thoughts, thank you! <3
> 
>  
> 
> (...excuse the errors, promise I'll fix them when I'm not half-asleep 😭)


End file.
